


Burglar Most Foul

by lordvoldemortsnipple



Series: Merthur Prompts [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meeting, M/M, Pre-Relationship, blink and you'll miss the morgana / gwen content, gwaine is a good neighbor and a bad friend, neither merlin nor arthur are good with new people especially when they're idiots, not pre-slash because the UST makes its presence known
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-05 06:44:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19043260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordvoldemortsnipple/pseuds/lordvoldemortsnipple
Summary: “Everything alright, Merlin?” Gwaine asks.There's a blond man by Merlin's door, more built than he is, but around the same height. He also has a crooked nose and striking blue eyes, but those have nothing to do with his power to bully Merlin into letting him in.“Might be a robber,” Merlin explains, “I’m not sure yet.”





	Burglar Most Foul

Merlin has been curling up for a few hours queuing netflix when the doorbell rings. He looks away from the screen to the door for a moment, and then goes back to watching Sabrina, snuggling deeper into the couch. He's not expecting anyone, and Morgana isn't at home to be having guests either.

The doorbell rings again, for longer, and whoever's ringing is right outside, because they knock hard on the door. Honestly, who keeps leaving the downstairs door open?

Merlin pauses the episode and leaves his nest to move to the door, and peeking through the peephole. There's a blonde man outside the door, frowning at it, and Merlin only opens it because he looks somewhat familiar.

The man doesn't seem to share the sentiment. "Who are you?"

"This is my home, friend," Merlin says, holding the door open so his arm is a barrier stopping the stranger's way in. "I should be asking you that."

“This is Morgana’s home,” the man counterpoints. He’s more built than Merlin is, but they’re around the same height. He also has a crooked nose and striking blue eyes, but those have nothing to do with his power to bully Merlin into letting him in. 

“So it is,” Merlin agrees, “but she’s not here right now. And you haven’t said who you are.”

“Arthur, her brother,” the other says. “I’m staying over for a week while my flat is renovated. I’m sure she mentioned something. WIll you just let me in?”

Morgana had mentioned something about her brother, but Merlin hadn’t really paid attention. Still, this man doesn’t resemble her much at all, apart from the strong jaw, the fact he’s handsome more than he’s pretty, and the air he has that claims firmly that he has simply been born better than everyone else. The bag Merlin notices by his feet can either be a point in in favour or a way to store whatever he wants to steal. 

“Yeah, alright,” Merlin says, and starts to close the door. Morgana would kill him if he just invited a burglar in.

“Now, hang on a moment,” the potential thief says, and he’s interrupted as Merlin closes the door in his face. He can still hear him from the other side. “This is ridiculous, I don’t even know who you are!”

Merlin goes to fetch his phone by the sofa, scavenging it from his neglected nest of blankets, and leans against it as he tries to ring Morgana. The line is busy. He frowns at the phone, and then goes back closer to the door, peeking through the peephole to see the man outside speaking on the phone, his voice coming muffled through the door. Merlin presses an ear against it to listen in.

“...and you weren’t going to tell me you have a boyfriend now?”

That clearly has nothing to do with this situation, so Merlin speaks over through the door. “Listen, mate, Morgana isn’t answering the phone, so you’re going to have to wait until she’s free.”

“That’s because she’s on the phone with  _ me _ , you imbecile!”

“Yeah, so I’d have to open the door and get your phone to prove that? Nice try, clotpole!”

Merlin almost jumps back as the very likely robber knocks on the door again, “Just open the door, Merlin! Your neighbour just came out and is eyeing me funny.”

“Gwaine came out ages— how do you know my name?”

“Because I’m on the phone with my sister and, unlike some people, she let me know what it was!” the now less likely thief says, clearly frustrated. 

Merlin hesitates. This is either someone being honest, or a very well prepared thief who came in knowing Merlin’s name. He knew Morgana’s too, so it shouldn’t be so hard to find out who’s renting her extra bedroom.

He opens the door to examine the stranger.

“Everything alright, Merlin?” Gwaine asks. The stranger wasn’t lying, his neighbour right across the hall has his door open, leaning against it, arms crossed in a far too casual pose as he looks at them. 

“Might be a robber,” Merlin explains, “I’m not sure yet.”

“I am  _ not _ a robber, you idiot!”

“Hand me the phone then.”

“What, so you can rob me?” the other sneers.

“No, so I can talk to Morgana, you prat,” Merlin holds out a hand.

“Better do it,” Gwaine adds, sounding amused, “he’s not letting you in otherwise, mate.”

The man hands him over his phone, which decreases his chances of being there to steal Merlin. He’s still taking no chances, which is why he closes the door right after grabbing it.

“Hey!” he hears loudly from the other side of the door, and at the same time Gwaine laughing.

Merlin presses the phone to his ear, “Hello?”

“Merlin?” Morgana’s voice comes through, “I know I should have been there to let Arthur in, but Gwen got me held up.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Merlin lets his head rest against the door. “He’s really your brother?”

“I ask the same often enough. Just let him in, he’s probably going to grumple off to my bedroom and write a formal complaint.”

“He’s a royal ass,” Merlin says, “you sure he can’t wait outside until you get here?”

“Merlin.”

“Fine, fine. See you soon?”

“In a few hours. Bye, Merlin. Gwen sends a kiss.”

Merlin opens the door again as he hangs up. “Alright,” he says to Arthur, “You can come in.”

“Finally!” Arthur picks up his bag, bumping his shoulder into Merlin’s as he storms is way in, “how much of a completely basket case do you have to be to turn out so obtuse?”

Merlin turns around, still holding the door open, “I don’t know, how much are you?”

Arthur stops going to Morgana’s room and moves back to him. “What did you just say?”

“What, you didn't listen? Or are you just being obtuse?”

“You cannot talk to me like this,” Arthur moves in close, using his free hand to point a finger at Merlin’s face. 

“Reckon I just did,” Merlin replies, leaning in, raising his chin to pull on the little height he has over Arthur.

Arthur’s fuming, Merlin can practically feel his breath in his face, and there’s something that makes it impossible for Merlin to look away from his eyes, his heartbeat drumming loudly in his chest as Arthur comes even closer. “Do you ever shut up?”

“Guess you’re about to find out,” Merlin replies.

The finger Arthur’s pointing at him is almost touching his lips, and then he steps back, hand curling into a fist. “This is going to be a nightmare,” he says hauntingly as he goes into the room.

Merlin chuckles as he watches him go, and almost jumps as a voice comes from behind him.

“Well, ain’t this interesting, eh?” Gwaine asks, still out in the hall.

Merlin turns to look at him, his cheeks heating up against his will. “He’s a lousy prat.”

Gwaine still looks far too amused. “He looks like a git.”

“Yeah,” Merlin nods quickly in agreement, “I really want to kiss him, Gwaine.”

“Really?” Gwaine asks Merlin, raising his eyebrows.

“Merlin, you idiot,” Arthur storms back in, thankfully unaware of what was just said, “you still have my phone!”

Merlin sighs, and throws the phone at Arthur.

“Careful, you nitwick, this is more expensive than anything you own!” Arthur holds the phone to his chest, glaring at him. “You scratch it and you will regret it.”

“I’m terribly scared of football team of lawyers you’d bring in to bully me with,” Merlin replies, mourning his own lack of taste. Arthur really is an arrogant arse.

“As if I’d need any of that to go against  _ you _ ,” Arthur says as he goes back into the room. He’s a prick.

God, he can just imagine Arthur’s startled look at Merlin pushing him into a wall, pressing up against his firm chest and biting Arthur’s lip, Arthur making a small sound before his tongue licks into Merlin’s mouth—

“Him?” Gwaine insists, now leaning against Merlin’s door.

“I know,” Merlin groans, moving to slump down against him, shoulder to shoulder, his hands covering his face in shame. “It’s the worst.”

“You have shit taste in men,” Gwaine says.

“I’m aware, thanks,” Merlin says, the sound muffled by his hands.

“Oy, Princess!” Gwaine yells into the flat, “Merlin wants to get in your pants!”

“Gwaine!” Merlin pushes him out of the flat, his heart up in his ears. 

“Just helping out,” Gwaine grins, moving out easily.

“Didn’t ask for it!” Merlin hisses at him, and slams the door. He groans, pressing his forehead against it. He speaks louder so Gwaine hears “I have shit taste in friends too!”

Arthur peeks out of Morgana’s room, his cheeks pink. “What did he say?”

“Nothing!” Merlin lets out, his own face burning.

Their eyes lock up for one long moment, and Merlin sort of stops breathing when Arthur’s eyes fall to his mouth. He’s quick to look up again, his face a darker shade of red. 

Arthur no longer meets his eye as he goes back inside, speaking as he closes the door “You’re going to be the death of me, I can tell.” 

If that could happen before Merlin finds himself pining after this dollophead that would be great, thanks.

**Author's Note:**

> The prompts used for this one were "kiss" and "interacting with a family member"
> 
> If you got all the way down here (thanks, btw!), why not check my other Merthur fics?  
> [Get the Frog, Kiss the Prince](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14703792)  
> Gaius said Merlin was being paranoid, and Arthur said he was just jealous of all the attention. Gwen had looked at him with pity, as if she had an idea why the whole thing was actually bothering him, but didn’t say anything supporting either, so she didn’t count. Three female heirs with their parents, all trying to get a firm alliance with Camelot, and no one thought something would go wrong.  
> Merlin hadn’t really counted on everyone in the castle suddenly being in love with Arthur, but honestly it’s not that surprising, is it?  
> [An Illusion of Sorts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6593434)  
> The night Morgana sneaks a magic show into Arthur’s club is the same night Arthur meets Merlin. Arthur knows not everyone shares his opinion on how tasteless magic tricks are, but he still can’t understand why Merlin is so defensive of this Dragoon the Great.


End file.
